A woman who was killed in an attack earlier today has been named as 82-year-old Palmira Silva.

Police say the woman, who is Italian, was found dead in the back garden of a house in Nightingale Road, Edmonton, after 1pm today.

Witnesses say she was beheaded by a man carrying a machete.

In the moments leading up to the incident, a man was seen running through back gardens, hacking cats or dogs to death.

Earlier today, there was an attempted attack on two other people at an address in Nightingale Road but they were able to flee the house without injury. 

Witnesses were evacuated from houses nearby after the incident and police are currently carrying out door to door inquiries

A 25-year-old man has been arrested after he was cornered by police in a house after the incident. 

One firearms officer was injured during the arrest, where the man had to be tasered.